Progress...

Okay, here are the first of my progress pictures.

I know disclaimers are lame, but keep in mind, I take these Sunday nights...which means I have been out working in the yard or doing laundry all day....not getting dressed up with makeup :).

Two weeks preop (the night before the liquid diet)

The night before surgery

Two weeks postop

Three weeks post op

Four weeks postop (down 38 lbs)

Feeling Better!

Thanks to some pep talkin' from my BTV peeps, I am feeling better about things. I am doing really well with my vitamins (thank you itouch for the list making app I downloaded. I can check them off as I take them!) my water is way up now that I realized I can take bigger sips than I have been AND, the my protein is looking better. Now, if I my stall would just get the hell out of here, I would be all set.

So, speaking of protein...we rocked some delish Chicken Shawarma tonight. My three-year-old even helped make it. (She was the master stirrer.)

Here is a link to the recipe:
http://genaw.com/lowcarb/rachaels_chicken_shawarma.html

We made a couple of tweaks, but overall it was delicious. It doesn't really taste like authentic shawarma but who cares, it was tasty!

The past two days

have been TOUGH! I haven't felt like eating ANYTHING that is remotely good for me. The only thing that appeals to me are Hummus Chips and Alexia Onion Strips. Neither of which I should be eating. I have been taking my vitamin, but I can't get in all my water nor my protein and I am still having some achiness in my side so I haven't been able to go to the gym...

So, I feel like crap.

And it is my own fault.

I need to kick my own ass.

Sigh.

Here is where I am...
On a good note, I pushed through my stall from the last week and have lost another 4 lbs- hooray. On a bad note, I am REALLY struggling with some pain underneath one of my incisions. I think that particular incision went through a muscle and the pain is just the muscle growing back together...but DAMN, it hurts. It isn't all the time, it is just when I am driving or sitting at the computer (like now). I think it comes form when I am using my right arm- because it engages that muscle.

Holy crap, it literally takes my breath away on occasion.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner....

I tried a new recipe tonight.... CRISPY ORANGE CHICKEN!

AND EVERYONE LOVED IT!!!

(Trust me, this is a damn miracle.)

The recipe was courtesy of this website... http://eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/take-out-not/

(Linda is a frickin' genius!)

Quck and Easy Grilled Dinner

Tonight we are celebrating Father's Day at my in-laws house. They are making ribs, baked beans, corn and dessert. I will be bringing my own dinner (no hard feelings, I just DO NOT want people to have to cater to my dietary needs. We have to exist in the real world eventually, people!)

I have found that when I have a fancier or more interesting meal, it doesn't make me miss the old carb/sugar loaded standbys. So, I will be making kabobs from chicken, green onions, mushrooms and yellow squash. I am also bringing thinly sliced English cucumber and low fat laughing cow as a appetizer (I just need to remember not to eat too many) and some suger free pudding for dessert.

Doesn't that sound yummy?!?!?! I hope I am setting myself up to not feel deprived in any way.

Cheers!

The Steps.

Recently, the idea that obesity is an addiction has gained more credibility. Although many will argue that unlike most addiction where you can avoid the temptation (be in alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc) you have to eat. You cannot just stop "cold turkey". So how does this fit into the traditional treatment for addiction? I thought that this adaption of the original Alcoholics Anonymous steps was pretty cool:

The 12 Steps:
I admit that I am powerless over FOOD— My life before WLS was unmanageable, and can become so again.
I believe that a Power greater than myself will restore me to sanity.
I have made a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God as I understand Him/Her.
I am making a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself.
I have admitted to God, to myself, and to another human being the exact nature of my wrongs.
I am entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
I will humbly ask Him/Her to remove my shortcomings.
I am making a list of all persons I have harmed, and am willing to make amends to them all.
I will make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
I will continue to take personal inventory and when I am wrong, promptly admit it.
I am seeking, through prayer and meditation, to improve my conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His/Her will for me, and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, I am working to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all of my affairs.

Admitting you are powerless takes a pretty big leap, yes?

Yum

A few nights ago I modified a recipe out of a cookbook for post WLS...it was delish. Even Beau liked it. Super easy and only a few ingredients....

cooking spray or EVOO
1 lb chicken
1 lrg shallot, minced
1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 fat free evo milk
salt and pepper

Over med/high, heat EVOO in pan, brown chicken until cook through, remove from pan and keep warm.
Add a bit more EVOO if needed and add shallot, cook 1 minute and then add mushrooms. Cook until brown all over. Add oregano and tomatoes and stir well...let cook for about 7 minutes. Turn heat to low and add milk, stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Add back in chicken juices that have accumulated on the plate.

Serve chicken with sauce spooned over it.
Serves 4.

For the family, I pureed the sauce- Beau is not a bit fan of tomato chucks. It is not a pretty sauce once you puree it, but it is tasty.

For me, I pureed 2 oz of chicken and then spoons 2 tablespoons of the sauce of the chicken.

Surgery

Two weeks ago today I was in surgery. It is crazy how quickly the last two weeka have gone, but it seems to have balanced out how slowly the week leading up to surgery went.

I arrived at the hospital at 9am for an 11 am surgery time. Once I completed check in and received my ID bracelet we waited int he waiting room for the nurse to take me back to preop. The preop process involved getting into the gown, having some blood drawn, urine sample, talking to the anesthetic nurse, the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. After I was all settled, they had Tim come back to keep me company. They gave me a mild sedative and I was wheeled back into the operating room. I hopped over to the table and once I laid down, I was out. The next thing I was aware of was just some chaos around me in the recovery room. People checking things and taking of masks, IVs and such. The took me up to my room and Tim was waiting.

The rest of the day just floated in and out, lots of morphine hits (they put you on a pain pump), frequent blood pressure, temp and heart rate tests. They also had massaging leg cuffs on me to keep my circulation going to prevent blood clots. Towards the end of the day, I walked around the floor once to make sure to keep things active and moving. That night was okay- nothing compared to night two! (more on that below). I was in and out most of the night because every hour they come in to either take a measurement, draw blood or whatever. Tim went home around 8 because I was falling asleep on the phone talking to everyone. I didn't want him to stay since there were plenty of other people keeping an eye on me.


I was up around 7 am on day two. I felt pretty good and got up to walk around the floor as soon as Tim arrived. They took me off the leg massage machine and I spent a good chunk of the day in the chair instead of in bed. I also was able to wash my hair in the ink- heaven! I started having some trouble with not producing enough urine (sorry if that is TMI) so they gave me a diuretic and two double doses of fluid (the IV drips twice as fast). Even after that I was still low. The catheter was only working if I stood up, so it made me walk a lot more than I might have. Tim went home at around 8 and I went straight to bed. At about 1am I woke up having to pee the worst I have EVER HAD TO PEE EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE! Which was weird since I had a catheter in. Long story shot, the catheter had stopped working for some unknown reason. The nurse took pity on me and removed it since we hadn't heard back from my surgeon yet.

It was the best pee ever.

The doctor later told me he had only seen that happen twice in his career. Leave it me to have a difficult bladder.

Anyways, the rest of the night went by great since I wasn't in pain anymore. At 6am the doctor/surgeon came to see me and said I was all set to go! By 9:30 we were checked out and one the way home.